SF Personal Trainer Blog

Training around London and Tower Bridge

We've all been there: you've just finished work, it's been a long day, you're tired, and the thought of the gym, well, it doesn't fill you with joy, does it? Much nicer to slink home, crash on the sofa, maybe pick up a take-away in the process. There's so much to do, those reports need finishing, those dishes won't do themselves, and when was the last time you phoned your Mum? There are any number of reasons to avoid training. But that's not going to keep your fitness levels up, is it? Or maybe you have no problem with motivation, but time's a factor, or you want to squeeze a little extra work in. The solution's simple: skip the gym and fit a quick outdoor workout in on your lunch break. Not only do you get the extra training in, but you'll be energised and refreshed for a productive afternoon at work. and if you work near London Bridge, training couldn't be simpler, with plenty of outdoor options.

One of these training London Bridge options is The Scoop at More London. Okay, it's an amphitheatre, it's designed to be a performance space, not a gym. But what does it consist of? Steps. Lots and lots of steps, and these steps are fitness gold. Think of sprints up them as the equivalent of hill repeats on a running training session, but there aren't just obvious cardio gains. Steps are great for any number of strength building exercises. Lunges, press-ups, tricep dips and squat jumps are all exercises to which stairs add a certain extra intensity. Or you could mix up your cardio with a sideways stair run, with the added bonus of working your adductors and hip adductors more.

A great choice would be Potter's Field park. this highly landscaped park, right in the heart of the city, has a number of excellent options for training. There are free yoga and pilates sessions, as well as HIIT and parkour. It's a great place to get that metabolic rate up and really push the limit on your cardio which is great for weight loss. Try a set of sprint intervals, shown to improve fat burning as well as effectively tone muscle. Even a short set of four 30 second sprints has a number of positive outcomes. It's also an excellent outdoor space for body exercises like press-ups, mountain climbers, burpees or lunges.

Of course, one gem of London is the Thames, and it's this river which provides the most enticing option for training on London Bridge. Its broad paths offer an opportunity for safe running, and you're unlikely to find better scenery for a run anywhere else, you'll also have plenty of company, as the paths are full of like-minded people out for a run in the heart of the city. The number of bridges means retracing your steps is unnecessary, with loops taking London Bridge in ranging from just over a mile to a tick over 10k, meaning whatever time you've got to train, there's a running route that's suitable for you.